Independence-class USS Savannah completes successfully trials.

According to a press release published by U.S. Navy on May 27, 2021, the future Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Savannah (LCS 28) successfully concluded acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico on May 14 after a series of in-port and underway demonstrations.
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The future Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Savannah (Picture source: Flickr account of Austal USA)

The Navy conducted comprehensive tests of the Independence-variant littoral combat ship’s systems during the trials, spanning multiple functional areas including main propulsion, auxiliaries and electrical systems. LCS 28 also performed a full-power demonstration, steering and quick reversal, anchor drop test and combat system detect-to-engage sequence. Acceptance trials are the last significant milestone before delivery of the ship to the Navy, which is planned for late June.

Following delivery and commissioning, Savannah will sail to California to be homeported in San Diego with sister ships USS Independence (LCS 2), USS Coronado (LCS 4), USS Jackson (LCS 6), USS Montgomery (LCS 8), USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10), USS Omaha (LCS 12), USS Manchester (LCS 14), USS Tulsa (LCS 16), USS Charleston (LCS 18), USS Cincinnati (LCS 20), USS Kansas City (LCS 22), USS Oakland (LCS 24) and USS Mobile (LCS 26).

Four additional Independence-variant ships are under construction at Austal USA in Mobile. Final assembly is underway on Canberra (LCS 30) and Santa Barbara (LCS 32). Austal is fabricating modules for Augusta (LCS 34), and initial fabrication for Kingsville (LCS 36) has begun. The future USS Pierre (LCS 38) will begin fabrication later this year.

LCS is a highly maneuverable, lethal and adaptable warship designed to support focused mine countermeasures, anti-submarine and surface warfare missions. The Independence-variant LCS integrates new technology and capability to affordably support current and future mission, ranging from deep water to the littorals.

LCS is now the Navy’s second-largest surface ship class in production, behind the DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer program. In 2019, three LCSs were delivered to the fleet, four were delivered in 2020, and four will again deliver in 2021 — a shipbuilding delivery pace not seen since the 1990s.

USS Savannah (LCS-28) will be an Independence-class littoral combat ship of the United States Navy.

The Independence class is a class of littoral combat ships built for the United States Navy.

The ships are 127.4 m (418 ft) long, with a beam of 31.6 m (104 ft), and a draft of 13 ft (3.96 m). Their displacement is rated at 2,176 tons light, 2,784 tons full, and 608 tons deadweight. The standard ship's company is 40, although this can increase depending on the ship's role with mission-specific personnel.

The Independence-class LCS is armed with one BAE Systems Mk 110 57 mm naval gun, one Raytheon SeaRAM CIWS CloseIn Weapon System, four .50-cal machine guns, two 30 mm Mk44 Bushmaster II automatic cannons (part of SUW module), eight RGM-184A anti-ship Naval Strike Missiles, 24 AGM-114L Hellfire air-to-surface missiles (SUW vertical launch module). The ship can accommodate 1 MH-60R/S Seahawk naval helicopter as well as two MQ-8B Fire Scouts or one MQ-8C Fire Scout helicopter VTOL drones.